Toronto
Event information
Digital Doors Open Toronto
Explore some traditional Doors Open Toronto sites without having to leave home. The following sites offer tours, videos and activities that will engage people of all ages.
Info from the City of Toronto
On March 23, 2020, Mayor John Tory declared an emergency in the city of Toronto. The declaration of a municipal emergency is part of the City of Toronto’s ongoing efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 and will ensure that the municipal government can continue to act and respond quickly to the pandemic and any other events that arise in the weeks ahead.
Based on recommendations from Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, the City of Toronto has cancelled most City-operated programs, including Doors Open Toronto, and has closed a number of City facilities.
The City remains prepared to respond to emergencies. Emergency response by Toronto Police, Fire Services, and Paramedic Services is not impacted.
For more information, visit the City of Toronto website.
Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre Doors Open Toronto
Come and take a closer look at the historical Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre – the last operating double-decker theatre facility in the world. These stacked Vaudevillian-era theatres were saved from demolition in 1981 by the Ontario Heritage Trust. As part of Digital Doors Open, take a virtual tour inside this theatre complex. Enjoy some videos from past performers. And learn about the history of this remarkable place through the video below.
- Digital Doors Open
- Virtual tour
- Video
- Kid-friendly
- National Historic Site (Canada)
- Site has blue and gold provincial plaque
- Site is protected by the Ontario Heritage Trust
Contact info
189 Yonge StreetToronto, Ontario
Email: ewg@heritagetrust.on.ca
www.heritagetrust.on.ca/ewg
Architecture
Year built: 1913-14Architect: Thomas Lamb (designer)
Architectural style: Edwardian
Building type: Theatre
Dates/hours open
Friday May 1 – Monday September 7, 2020Part of Digital Doors Open Toronto
Fool's Paradise Doors Open Toronto
The former home of Canadian landscape painter Doris McCarthy (1910-2010) is a one-storey wood-frame cottage – on the spectacular Scarborough Bluffs (take an aerial tour of the Bluffs, and check out some of her artwork in the collections of the Wynick/Tuck Gallery and the Mountain Galleries). McCarthy donated this property to the Ontario Heritage Trust in 1998 to conserve its scenic, esthetic, natural and cultural values, with the wish that it would become an artist-in-residence centre and venue for heritage activities following her death. Since the Doris McCarthy Artist-in-Residence Program launched in 2014, over 30 artists have completed residencies here. Meet one of the artists below.
- Digital Doors Open
- Virtual tour
- Video
- Collections and resources
- Environment
- Kid-friendly
- Site has blue and gold provincial plaque
- Site is protected by the Ontario Heritage Trust
Architecture
Year built: 1940Architect: Forest Tefler/Doris McCarthy
Architectural style: Modernism
Building type: Private residence
Landscape: Garden, Trail
Dates/hours open
Friday May 1 – Monday September 7, 2020Part of Digital Doors Open Toronto
George Brown House Doors Open Toronto
George Brown House is historically significant for its association with Father of Confederation, Globe newspaper founder and leading abolitionist George Brown (1818-80). In 1989, the Ontario Heritage Trust restored the building to its original state. Highlights include the art nouveau dining room, gracious front hall and Brown’s library. The site is often featured on the CBC television show "Murdoch Mysteries." For Digital Doors Open, take a virtual tour of this restored mansion. Or watch a biopic on the history of Confederation to understand the critical role that Brown had in shaping Canada.
- Digital Doors Open
- Virtual tour
- Video
- National Historic Site (Canada)
- Site is protected by the Ontario Heritage Trust
Contact info
186 Beverley StreetToronto, Ontario
Architecture
Year built: 1876Architect: William Irving; Edward Hutchins
Architectural style: Second Empire
Building type: Historical house, Private residence
Landscape: Garden
Dates/hours open
Friday May 1 – Monday September 7, 2020Part of Digital Doors Open Toronto
Lieutenant Governor's Suite Doors Open Toronto
New
The Lieutenant Governor's Suite comprises several state rooms and offices inside the northwest wing of the Legislative Building at Toronto’s Queen’s Park. It is the working office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, currently the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell. It is the venue of many significant constitutional events, such as the appointment and resignation of Premiers of Ontario, the swearing-in of cabinet ministers, and the granting of Royal Assent for bills passed by the Legislature. Her Honour hosts foreign heads of state and government, diplomatic and consular representatives, and distinguished visitors in the Suite; it is also a place to host community groups for awards ceremonies, receptions and meetings. During Digital Doors Open, as you learn about the role of the Lieutenant Governor through the above links, enjoy a virtual tour of the Suite in the video below.
- Digital Doors Open
- Virtual tour
- Video
Architecture
Year built: 1893Architect: Richard A. Waite; E.J. Lennox
Architectural style: Romanesque revival
Building type: Government building, Historical landmark
Dates/hours open
Friday May 1 – Monday September 7, 2020Part of Digital Doors Open Toronto
Ontario Heritage Centre Doors Open Toronto
Take a virtual tour of the Ontario Heritage Centre, the head office of the Ontario Heritage Trust. Among the many interesting features of this building, constructed in 1909, are the two gallery spaces with mezzanines, oak-panelled oval board room, the restored manually operated elevator and period washrooms. This site, popular for meetings and weddings, has also been used in many television and film shoots, including Cinderella Man, Queer as Folk and Serendipity.
- Digital Doors Open
- Virtual tour
- National Historic Site (Canada)
Architecture
Year built: 1909Architect: George Gouinlock
Architectural style: Edwardian
Dates/hours open
Friday May 1 – Monday September 7, 2020Part of Digital Doors Open Toronto
Spadina Museum Historic House and Gardens Doors Open Toronto
- Digital Doors Open
- Video
- Site is protected by the Ontario Heritage Trust
Contact info
285 Spadina RoadToronto, Ontario
www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/museums/spadina-museum
Architecture
Year built: 1866; 1896Architect: Original architect unknown; Vaux Chadwick (1896)
Architectural style: Second Empire
Building type: Attraction, Historical landmark, Historical house, Museum
Landscape: Garden
Dates/hours open
Friday May 1 – Monday September 7, 2020Part of Digital Doors Open Toronto
The ArQuives Doors Open Toronto
New
The ArQuives was established to aid in the recovery and preservation of the histories of Canada’s LGBTQ2+ people. Founded in 1973, they have grown to become the largest archive of its kind in the world. Through these collections, you can learn about the history and the struggles faced by – and the resilience of – LGBTQ2+ people. For Digital Doors Open, learn about the kinds of artifacts found in the archives – and the people who collect and preserve them – through the video below. And search their online collections or explore their digital exhibits for more information.
- Digital Doors Open
- Video
- Collections and resources
Architecture
Building type: Educational facilityDates/hours open
Friday May 1 – Monday September 7, 2020Part of Digital Doors Open Toronto
Tommy Thompson Park (Leslie Street Spit) Doors Open Toronto
New
Tommy Thompson Park, just minutes away from downtown Toronto, is a unique urban wilderness that offers some of the best bird watching in the city – with more than 300 species. The Leslie Street Spit – the land on which this park now stands – was entirely manmade, composed of landfill, concrete, bricks and rebar. Today, this 250-hectare park (617 acres) is operated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. It has become an oasis for walkers and cyclists, and remains the habitat of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. As part of Digital Doors Open, download their birder’s checklist, read their research reports on breeding birds, explore the site through the video below, and watch the acclaimed documentary (from CBC’s The Nature of Things, 44:18).
- Digital Doors Open
- Video
- Activities and games
- Collections and resources
- Environment
- Kid-friendly
Architecture
Year built: Begun in 1959Landscape: Conservation area, Landscape, Natural heritage, Park
Dates/hours open
Friday May 1 – Monday September 7, 2020Part of Digital Doors Open Toronto